I’ve been mulling over ways to start LAN parties in Morgantown for quite some time. My opinion since moving here a year and a half ago has been that Morgantown would be a fantastic place for a LAN party given the right leadership and stubborness. Unfortunately, I found that securing space for such an event is rather difficult if you aren’t affiliated with WVU in some way.
It was suggested today that I help organize the WVU student chapter of the International Game Developers Association. The idea is that programmers and artists who are interested in game design can meet and share ideas, collaborate, and other things. We can get game industry professionals to do seminars and, of course, do huge LAN parties. This would also help jump start the game development cirriculum for bachelor’s and masters students that’s currently being developed.
This also means I have to pick my battles. I had earlier wanted to try starting a 2600 group in Morgantown. I’m far more interested in the IGDA chapter. I’d definitely still participate in a 2600 group, but I don’t think I’d choose that when given the option to choose between the two.
I shared my previous experience with planning LAN parties with the advisor, and he seemed very interested in the way the events were used to promote the department in exchange for equipment. In short, it all sounded doable except with a WVU-sized budget. Being a school organization also gives access to rooms such as the NRCCE expo room which is roughly twice the size of the Tech Center Ballroom. This appears from the outside to be the opportunity to plan the LAN party I’ve dreamed of with all of the resources I’ve ever wanted. On the other hand, I haven’t dealt very much with the department, so Admiral Ackbar may have useful input on this. I also have to consider if I can keep up with my school, research, and work responsibilities with the added leadership responsibility. I must remeber that I am a student first and foremost.
If you’re a WVU student who is seeking a degree in Computer Science or an Arts degree that would be associated with some form of digital art or design for video games, weigh in on the comments of Facebook or my blog @ praisechaos.com. Feel free to share this information to those who would be interested. If you’re interested in a huge Morgantown LAN party, let me know as well. This won’t be starting until next semester, so I’ve got some time to mull it over.
by Kel at November 21, 2009 02:50 AM
Hello MEGATONik readers (and writers)! This is just a quick announcement that MEGATONik may be unavailable this Saturday June 6th from 9 PM to 12 AM EST. The site will be down in order to conduct a few housekeeping tasks and upgrades to prepare for added MEGATONik services (forums, finally…) and another project of mine (not video game related). Take care, and enjoy the sexy E3 footage we’ve been blessed with this week!
by Kel Cecil at June 03, 2009 12:09 AM
Pardon me while I commit the sin of posting something NOT E3 related during E3. This was actually forwarded to me by a friend and I found this too entertaining not to share. The video features Jeff Bukovinsky and Brian Roller of the No Pants Players, a comedy troupe based in Charleston, West Virginia. Jeff and Brian discuss Brian’s obsession with Felicia Day’s twits.
Now please pardon me while I go enjoy Nathan Gamer’s man twits.
by Kel Cecil at June 02, 2009 11:56 PM
Let’s see if this post appears at http://planet.mountainstategamers.org. If so, we have success!!!
EDIT: Okay, let’s see if this works this time.
by Kel at March 29, 2009 06:52 PM
I’ve been pretty busy lately keeping up with school and the development of Mountain State Gamers. In fact, this is really just a quick post to test out the Planet MSG we’re launching. Community members with a blog can add special tags to the Planet, and their blog posts will appear on a community RSS feed.
Rather than creating our own community blog system and trying to get users to write on our blogs as well as theirs, I thought it would be better to just let you specify which posts are gaming-related and might be of interest to the MSG community.
Look for a full website very soon!
by Kel at March 29, 2009 06:28 PM
Hey guys and girls! GoGamer.com is featuring Little Big Planet for PS3 for a mere $21.90. It’s the PAL version which is the exact same. The only exception is that you must acquire download-able content with a European PSN account. Don’t worry! It’s easy to set up!
Here’s a few other notable deals:
Don’t miss this awesome deal on an incredible PS3 game!
by Kel Cecil at March 18, 2009 03:07 AM
Hey, kids! Bored this weekend? Got a PC handy? If so, you may be interested to know Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions is available on Steam for $5. This is a great prce for this game, and it’s definitely worth a shot at $5 dollars. Give it a go, and leave some feedback if you like (or despise) the game!
[Shamelessly lifted from CheapAssGamer]
by Kel Cecil at February 28, 2009 11:25 PM
If you can see this post, then feel privleged to feast your eyes on MEGATONik with faster hosting and a sexy new system administrator.
Here’s a few new features that you, the reader, will no doubt enjoy:
Here’s what you can expect in the future:
If there’s any features you’d like to see, please let me know. I’ll be happy to look into it.
by Kel Cecil at February 28, 2009 02:23 AM
I love Amazon’s Gold Box sales. You can get tons of crap that you could have easily lived without if it hadn’t been so cheap. I found myself wasting my Friday two weeks ago purchasing practically every Wii title Amazon was offering. I purchased Crave Entertainment’s Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection thinking that I would play the game once and retire it to my self just as quickly. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Hit the jump to find out why.
Pinball Hall of Game: The Williams Collection is exactly what the title claims; Ten of the finest tables from Williams Entertainment has been compiled into this collection for your enjoyment without having to own the machines themselves. The ten tables available are: Black Knight, Gorgar, Taxi, Jive Time, Firepower, Pinbot, Whirlwind, Sorcerer, Funhouse, and Space Shuttle. In addition to the tables themselves, there are also extras such as promotional posters and unlockable options for each table.
At first, only two of the tables are available for unlimited play. All of the other tables can be played at any time by paying one credit (which you can earn by achieving goals on tables.) The tables can be unlocked for unlimited play by paying 100 credits or by complete all of the goals on a table. Goals are objectives to strive for while playing each table. A common example was to score a certain number of points or to achieve a large score multiplier. The goals add a great deal of replay value, especially when you find that you almost had a particular goal the past ten times you played and refuse to stop until you’ve accomplished your goal.
I had always regretting being born after the era of pinball, and these tables definitely make that feeling much worse. Many of the older tables such as Jive Time and Gorgar are very simple while the newer tables such as Taxi and Funhouse are full of targets and fun things to discover. Step-by-step instructions of every bonus and objective for each tables are included in the game, so you’ll never be left wondering how to activate the 5x multiplier to accomplish a goal.
The table graphics are excellent, and the game flows along smoothly with no slowdown (that I recall.) I did have to disable the glass reflection from the table, because the reflection caused some discomfort in my eyes after playing without blinking for an extended period of time. The controls are very responsive. Bumping the machine left or right is accomplished by flicking the nunchuck or Wii remote respectively. My only complaint about the controls is that the game must be played with the Wii Remote and the Nunchuck. There’s no good reason not to allow gamers to stick with just the Wii Remote. The sound is wonderfully recreated and sounds exactly as it would have on the original machine. Music is only played during the menu screens. I found the music to be somewhat cheesy but enjoyable.
All in all, Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection is a great time. I picked my copy up from Amazon for 13 bucks, and I’ve easily gotten that much of entertainment from the purchase. If you’re a pinball fan, I’d definitely recommend this game. Tell Rudy that Kel sent you.
by Kel Cecil at October 01, 2008 12:10 AM
Alone in the Dark was easily the most difficult review I’ve ever had to write. Eden Games created some amazing sights that are best experienced to understand how amazing they are. Alone in the Dark also sports a few unique features such as DVD style controls and a complex item system. Unfortunately, the game, much like Central Park, holds a dark secret. (SPOILER: The controls suck!) So, does Alone in the Dark deliver? Hit the jump to find out.
The premise behind this new instalment of Alone in the Dark is that you play Dr. Edward Carnby who has woken up in the middle of New York City in a state of anarchy. You continue on to discover that Central Park holds a dark secret. I did enjoy the story, but I found the voice acting leave a bit to be desired without detracting from the story.
The game sports some interesting features that don’t affect game play directly. Eden Games split the game into several episodes. If you resume game play from a saved game, a short video will play summarizing the game so far. If you choose to quit the game after the end of an episode, a teaser video will play to try to make the gamer want more. I’m especially fond of the video reminding the player what has happened so far. I always tend to forget story lines if I’ve not played in a while, so a reminder is a pretty awesome concept. Alone in the Dark also features a DVD-style chapter select so, if you get stuck, you can skip that part and move on to the next. Many will appreciate that particular feature.
The item system is impressive. Many items can be combined to create unique weapons. For example, combining sticky tape with a blood packet punctured with a knife creates an item that can be attached to enemies to create a distraction. A handkerchief combined with a bottle of alcohol can create a makeshift Molotov Cocktail which was easy my most used weapon in this game. Many of the puzzles in the game require combining items, so experimentation is necessary.
Eden Games did an excellent job with the in-game cinematics. While trying to reach an objective or driving through the city, the camera pans to give breath-taking views of the action. At times I found myself feeling like I was watching an action film rather than playing a game. I’ll touch a little more on this later.
Unfortunately, the controls hinder the positive aspects of the game. I often felt that controlling the vehicles in this game would be like what controlling a drunk driver feels like. Slightest taps on the control stick would often send me into a wall or, preferably, to my death. It sounds strange to wish for death in a video game, but I found that it was usually faster to just die and do the scene over than dealing with the controls to right yourself. Attempting to use the protagonists’ pistol to aim precisely was often an exercise in futility unless you had the foresight to have some sticky tape and alcohol available. The game continuously told me I could kill baddies by shooting them in the “fissure”, but I was only able to do this once. This accomplishment was prior to achieving the “spectral vision” ability that was supposed to make this easy to do. I stormed away from the game frustrated and angry more than once because of the controls.
Just to add to the frustration, the game engine also had a tendency to glitch at very important times. Imagine this. During the first driving scene. you’re driving through the city while the sidewalk is cracking behind you! Canyons are forming all around you! Windows above you are exploding, and digital people are trying to escape as quickly as their digital legs can digitally carry them.
“Wow!” you think, “This is incredible! I have to survive! Central park needs me!”
You see a jump ahead to get across the canyon! “Bring it on,” you mentally scream as you slam on the gas! Alone in the Dark delivers scenes like this like Papa John’s delivers pizza. The game is so ridiculously cinematic that at times you can only look on in awe. I hope developers take a lesson from Eden Games in cinematic presentation.
Your car flies off the jump, over the canyon, and comes to a complete stop on landing. The car was situated perfectly for a good landing. Nothing was blocking your path. You just landed and glared in surprise and disgust as the game flipped the bird to a well-known concept in physics called ‘inertia’. There’s no time to accelerate to get away from the creature that’s chasing you. You’re dead, and, if you’re like me, you’re screaming at the top of your lungs because that’s the fourth time you’ve played this scene because of a glitch.
As I said before, this was a difficult review to write. I absolutely love the presentation and innovations of Alone in the Dark, but I loathe the glitches and frustrating controls. I’ve put a lot of thought into how to weigh the good qualities against the bad qualities. Unfortunately, the amazing presentation isn’t as important to gameplay as the controls and glitches. I will say that I hope Eden Games is given another chance to create a game like Alone in the Dark.
I recommend that fans of the survival horror genre definitely check out Alone in the Dark. All other gamers should proceed with caution for the reasons above.
by Kel Cecil at August 12, 2008 11:13 PM
The staff has been hard at work preparing to start recording what we like to call “The Mushroom Cloud,” MEGATONik’s new podcast dedicated to serious and not-so-serious discussion on facts that are important to gamers. We’re not talking about the latest sales figures or boring things that people in suits care about. The Mushroom Cloud will go that extra mile to give you the latest gaming news, thoughts, and enough not-safe-for-work jokes to land you in your office’s gender-sensitivity training for the rest of the week. We’re doing this for you, our readers, because we care.
We’re finishing up the details and preparing to record our first episode next week. Prepare yourself for a show that will take your questions and discuss with us live. Expect reviews, live games, and plenty of ridiculous humor that will leave you rofl-ing all over yourself. Nasty, huh?
We’ll be posting show notes and much more for the first episode in the middle of next week. Until then, let us know if you’ve got any ideas for topics, features, or live games. I promise that this podcast will be worth your time, or I’ll post embarrassing pictures of Cortez. You’ll be entertained either way.
by Kel Cecil at June 27, 2008 12:26 AM
EA Redwood, refusing to be content with the idea that a head shot can stop your attacker cold, has released new game play footage demonstrating death by total dismemberment. That’s right; only total dismemberment can keep these aliens at bay. Hit the jump to find out more information and impressions from the footage.
In a video interview, Dead Space executive producer Glen Schofield discusses the need for the player to totally dismember the enemy. If the player destroys the legs of an enemy, the enemy will continue to pursue the player by dragging itself with it’s own arms. The enemy can also continue to pursue the player without a head. I don’t completely understand how that’s actually possible, but, if some bugs can live without their heads for short periods of time, I suppose an alien could too.
I noticed several pros and cons during the video. The AI appears to be somewhat flaky at times. You’ll notice in the game play video (below) that the aliens are next to the player but don’t appear to be doing any damage. The aliens in the hallway also just stand in the hallway rather than charging at the player. There could be some other mechanics at work here that I’m unaware of, but both of these happenings seem odd.
The graphics look excellent, but I think I’m noticing slight differences in the blood splatter. There is not nearly as much blood splatter when an enemy is attacked, but the blood splatter direction seems to be more dependent on where the enemy is attacked on the body rather than being random. I’m perfectly okay with this trade-off.
I’m still very excited to play this game. The anti-gravity areas, telekinesis gun, and victims of total alien dismemberment that await us will be an excellent addition to this year’s Halloween celebrations. Any thoughts on these videos or anything I’ve mentioned above? Between the video and horrible monitor I’m using to write this article at work, I could very well be mistaken (or just completely wrong).
Dead Space will be available on October 27th (or around Halloween) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
[via GameTrailers]
EA3 Dismemberment Gameplay
by Kel Cecil at June 24, 2008 07:52 PM
Valve has finally provided a release date for Left 4 Dead as well as shared some interesting information about the AI systems at work in their upcoming zombie-shooter title.
In an interview with Left 4 Dead project lead Mike Booth, Booth discusses the game’s “AI Director.” The AI Director monitors what each player is doing and makes sure that there are plenty of high and low points in the action to prevent an unstoppable army of zombies. The game will also procedurally place zombies to help create the high and low points of action rather than randomly or manually placing the zombies on the map. There are a few points in the video where this feature becomes evident when a zombie rushes up behind the player to cause pain and suffering.
Turtle Rock has also released a series of videos showing the game play in action and highlighting some seriously hectic moments in game play. I’ve embedded all of the videos below after the jump.
I don’t know how you guys feel about this game, but I’m ready for some zombie killing fun. How do you guys feel about this game, and will you guys be joining me on release date? I can’t fight zombie hoards alone.
Left 4 Dead will be released November 4th for the Xbox 360 and PC platforms. Turtle Rock hasn’t revealed any PS3 details as of yet.
[via GameTrailers]
EA3 CAM Painkillers Gameplay
EA3 CAM Scale and Survive Gameplay
EA3 Subway Salvation Gameplay
EA3 CAM Tongue Torture Gameplay
by Kel Cecil at June 24, 2008 02:00 PM
In the video above, John McCain talks about his experiences with war throughout his life. Listen carefully to the music in the background. That orchestrated piece is from Medal of Honor: European Assult, and the use of the song by McCain has irritated composer Christopher Lennertz.
Lennertz is a strong Barrack Obama supporter and was very upset to discover that his work was being used in a advertisement of a candidate he did not support. Unfortunately, Lennertz discovered that he did not own the rights to the music in question.
“While I do not control the ownership of this piece, I am extremely disappointed with its placement in this commercial. I did not authorize the use and was not made aware of the situation,” Lennertz said.
“I am dismayed that my music has been used to promote his platform and even more disappointed that a candidate who claims to be the best voice for American entrepreneurs and business owners in this troubled economy so flagrantly ignored the most basic values and [tenants] of copyright and intellectual property.”
Do you guys think this fellow has a legitimate reason for being angry, or should he just get over it?
[via GamePolitics]
by Kel Cecil at June 23, 2008 01:59 PM
Lately, it seems that all of my friends are addicted to Wii Fit. Many of them are regularly using it, and when I asked one of them if Wii Fit is really making a different he said, “Well, a week ago I could even do a single push-up.” Bravo!
So, the users seem to enjoy Wii Fit, but what do fitness gurus think about the game? Sarah from Diet.com tried out the game (video above) and shared her thoughts on the game. Overall, she enjoyed the experience but points out a few items of interest.
Honestly, all of these things are fine with me. If the little girl is over 300 pounds, then someone needs to tell her to put down the fork. If people want to understand the concepts behind Yoga, they’ll probably opt to take a class if they decide they’re enjoying it. Finally, if I just spent $90 on Wii Fit, why would I go out and buy a hula-hoop?
Wii Fit is available for the Nintendo Wii. [Good luck finding one.]
[via Kotaku]
by Kel Cecil at June 14, 2008 12:43 PM
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